


Pieces and Pilots

by ChuckStruck23, knightphoenix2



Series: Archangels and Russian Vodka [2]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Everybody Lives, F/M, M/M, Post-Operation Pitfall, RAAF Pilot Herc, Russian Vodka, Striker Has Escape Pods, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-02
Updated: 2014-09-02
Packaged: 2018-02-15 21:13:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2243685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChuckStruck23/pseuds/ChuckStruck23, https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightphoenix2/pseuds/knightphoenix2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You found another one, Mr Choi?" Stacker asks, worry clear in his voice.</p><p>"No sir" Tendo replies. </p><p>The Marshall relaxes.</p><p>"I found another three."</p><p>Herc nearly chokes on the vodka he was about to down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pieces and Pilots

**Author's Note:**

> Screw waiting a few days. Don't feel like study anyway :)
> 
> Enjoy
> 
> ~~ChuckStruck23~~

Raleigh? Raleigh! No, not Raleigh! Screams, pain, so much pain. His arm. His head. His side. Far too much pain. He clings to what is left of the little boat that had held 12 lives. A floating piece of debris all that is keeping him from going down. He tries to cry out but suddenly he's back underwater, his eyes, ears, mouth, nose full of the liquid. He can't breathe, panic tight in his chest as he struggles desperately to find a way to get the crucial amount of oxygen to his brain. His strokes become feebler and weaker until he's just drifting, sinking. Welcoming the darkness.

For what has to be the millionth time, Yancy Becket awakes screaming in terror, thrashing wildly to prevent drowning in a non-existent ocean. Its only when she forces him down onto the bed again, her voice speaking in calming tones, the press of her curves against his panicked and sweaty body, only then does his mind clear enough for him to realize. It wasn't real. It was just another nightmare.

~No. Not a nightmare~ her voice inside his head reminds him. ~A memory.~

He was safe. Raleigh was safe. Amirina was there, by his side, his own personal angel. Safe. He pulls her close, lets her hold him and quietly sing him to sleep. Back into the world of darkness. Darkness haunted by the memories he wishes he could have left behind along with his life.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Far away in the Hong Kong Shatterdome, PPDC Ranger Raleigh Becket was oblivious to the plight of his brother. If you asked his fellow pilots, nearly all would say he was oblivious to everything, barring one person. A smile graced his face as he watched Ranger Mako Mori flit from J tech to J tech, giving instructions and receiving progress reports left, right, and center. 

So contented watching his co-pilot and girlfriend, Raleigh almost didn't notice Chuck as he came up behind him. Almost.

“You know you remind me of Max when he knows I'm about to eat something and won't share.” Chuck mentioned casually. “Its kind of sickening how whipped you are Becket.”

“She deserves nothing less than my full attention” Raleigh replied.

“Case and point” Chuck stated blandly, looking for all the world as if Raleigh had replied with a joke of bad taste.

“Come on boys, lets go find something to do. I hear the others are waiting in the mess for us.” Mako said as she effortlessly steered the two of them in the right direction.

Less than a minute and a half later they had joined everyone in the mess, sipping hot and cold drinks alike as they tried to come up with a plan for the afternoon.

“We could play Truth or Dare again” Hu suggested, waggling his eyebrows at Chuck, who looked very uncomfortable with that idea. He still hadn't forgiven Raleigh for the last game, but had a whole new level of respect for the older pilot when the story of how his last game of Truth or Dare with Yancy had gone was revealed. 

“Lets not and say we did.” Chuck suggests nervously, encouraging the snickering of the others seated at the table.

“What about poker?” Sasha suggested.

“Nah, don’t really fancy losin' another years' salary to you two today thanks” Herc responded.

"What about 'Never have I Ever'?" Stacker prompts.

"Sure, why not?" Sasha agrees happily and pull a couple of bottles of vodka out before anyone can protest.

Once again the move the tables and chairs out of the way so that there is enough room for them all to sit in a circle. Aleksis breaking out the plastic shot glasses and handing them out to everyone as Sasha poured.

"The rules are as follows. If asked for an explanation, you should give one if you are comfortable with is, but if you really don't want to you don't have to." Stacker announced to Chuck's dismay. "And should you get caught out for not drinking when you were supposed to you will have to do an extra three shots." Sasha and Aleksis smiled.

"OK lets get this show on the road" Stacker says, looking at Chuck and Raleigh. "Never have I ever punched an instructor."

Both Raleigh and Chuck drink, as well as Aleksis, and much to everyone's surprise, so does Mako. Stacker was not impressed.

"He tried to tell me the Jaeger Programme was no place for women" She explained when she noticed the stares of the others. She then looked at Chuck for his explanation.

"Told me that I would never make it to graduation because I was just a spoilt Daddy's boy." Chuck looked angry as he gave his story. Herc wasn't looking too pleased either. He then turned to Raleigh.

"Told me he hoped I lost my co-pilot when Yance and I bet him and his in a fight" Raleigh said, his voice barely above a whisper. Mako patted him on the back and moved closer to comfort him more.

"Told me that I would never be good enough to beat Sasha in Kwoon." Aleksis rumbled

"You still can't" Sasha added with a smile.

"Ouch" was all Chuck managed to get in before Herc took his turn.

"Never have I ever wanted a pet Koala" He said, smirking at Chuck.

Chuck and Stacker both took a shot.

"They are adorable" Stacker said in his defense, and Chuck was quick to agree.

Hu was next. 

"Never have I ever stole another man's girlfriend" He looked accusingly at his brothers.

Both Cheung and Jin drank, along with Herc, Raleigh, Stacker, and surprisingly Sasha.

"Lia Min" both Cheung and Jin said, causing Hu to groan. 

"Your mother" Herc said, looking at Chuck, who squirmed at the thought.

"Some girl in High School" was all Stacker was willing to contribute.

"Before I met Aleksis" was all Sasha would say.

Jin was about to take his turn when a J tech turned up and asked to speak to Mako, Chuck, Stacker, and Herc.

"We'll continue this later" Stacker said with a smile, before he and the others followed the woman out.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"We've noticed a discrepancy Sir" the tech began. "We've cross referenced the lists of all the parts the Jaegers Lucky Seven and Coyote Tango had removed and recycled by the Pan Pacific Defense Corps. However there are many more parts missing than there should be. The weren't removed in a way that would indicate trophy hunters. These pieces were removed carefully, indicating that someone wanted to use them for something and needed them intact."

"What has been taken?" Chuck asks.

"Nearly everything usable, from cabling to drift tech that wasn't deemed necessary for salvage." The tech replies. "Also large amounts of armor plating were missing on Lucky. These were less carefully removed, they probably weren't wanted intact but could still serve their original purpose."

The Marshall looks worriedly at Mako, and they both seem to reach the same conclusion at the same time.

"Track down those parts if possible and check the logs at Oblivion Bay for suspicious behavior. Somebody is trying to build themselves a Jaeger." Stacker says to the member of security present before turning sharply and heading to his office.

"Do ya really think it's possible" Chuck asks Mako as Stacker hurried away,

"Its more than possible, with the amount of tech that was just lying there in Oblivion Bay" Mako replies.

 

Not four hours later Tendo came bustling into Stacker's Office.

"Sir I think we found those parts. They are active and giving off a signal that's sort of a rendition of Coyote's distress signal. It's so weak that when we detected it several years back we shrugged it off as noise, but now I know what I'm looking at I'm almost certain its those parts you are looking for. And get this" Tendo continues, not letting Stacker say anything. "Initial scans have found an object on the seabed. It has the dimensions and look of some sort of Jaeger!"

At that, Stacker stood bolt upright and headed for the door at a brisk pace.

"Mr. Choi, scramble me a recovery team and have them ready for briefing in conference room one in ten minutes. I want choppers ready to go in fifteen and a dive squad assembled for briefing in conference room one as well."

"Yes sir" and with the Tendo was out the door, phone already pressed to his ear relaying the orders to the relevant people.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Amirina D'Carlton watched the screens showing the security feeds from Hong Kong intently. She had to give it to Pentecost, he moved quickly and efficiently. There was no way she and Yance would be able to get out of their base with an assembled team quick enough to move the shell of the old Jaeger and get rid of the evidence Pentecost and his team were half an hour from discovering. With a sigh she got up and left the control room, headed for the coffee machine where she knew she would find Yancy.

"Hey Yance" she called out as she saw him in the hallway next to the mess hall. "Looks like you'll be seeing that brother of yours a lot sooner than we first anticipated."

"Wicked" Yancy said with a smile as he turned around, but when he noticed the troubled look on Amirina's face, his smile dropped. "What happened?"

"They just found Calypso."

Yancy nearly dropped his fresh mug of coffee in shock. 

"How? I though it was well hidden enough that the chances were next to none of her being found."

"They decided to restore Lucky Seven and Coyote Tango and noticed the missing parts. When Calypso fell we were too busy getting into the escape pods to initiate a full shut down. The same missing parts from Coyote have been giving out a very weak signal from the wreck. Your friend Mr. Choi traced that signal. Pentecost will be salvaging her within the hour."

Yancy's eyebrows raised in an impressed expression.

"We better start packing down the base then. It'll take a couple of days, so best to start early." he replied with a small smile. He turned and walked towards the main bay, taking about ten steps before turning once more.

"Amirina, just how functional do you think Calypso is at the moment? Will they be able to use her?"

"I hop not, they will be very uncomfortable if they try. She's pretty damaged and the security protocols are probably still in place." Amirina replied, seeing Yancy's expression turned to one of worry before he turned and continued walking.

Not that she needed to. Knowing when he was worried his brother would do something stupid was one of the perks of drifting with him.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Herc, Sasha, Mako, Aleksis, Newt, Hermann, Raleigh and Chuck could only look on in awe as the choppers lowered the huge Jaeger into an empty bay of the Hong Kong 'Dome.

The Jaeger had a stream-lined appearance and was still fairly heavily built. She was almost as tall as Striker had been and had mounting slots for AKM's. She also appeared to have half of a chain sword in her left arm and a bent rotating blade strikingly similar to those present on Crimson on her right. Though faded, her paintwork was revealed to be a blue-green, nearly turquoise color that reminded Chuck and Herc both of the ocean back in Australia on a sunny day after a storm. She had lots of damage though. It was clear that something had made a good attempt at dismantling her, and not very gently either. She was missing any means of fighting back, with the chain sword-like weapon snapped and the rotating circular blade bent irreparably. she had a series of large gashes across her chest that looked like claw marks and a hole in her Con-Pod. Her legs were also badly damaged.

"Impressive" Chuck managed to squeak out after a solid ten minutes of visual inspection.

"Indeed" Hermann agreed, awe clear in his voice.

"I wonder who made it?" Mako pondered out loud. 

Before Newt could say 'extraterrestrial beings' in response, Stacker arrived, hopping out of the last chopper and approached the group. Just in time to be there when Tendo scurried over with a member of security hot on his heels.

"Stacks, I might be slightly delusional, but I think I recognize this Jaeger" Herc said when Stacker reached them.

"So you should Ranger Hansen." Stacker replied. "This Jaeger is built to the plans made by the PPDC for a Mark VI. Plans that were destroyed when the Jaeger programme began it's shut down as funding went to the wall. How someone got their hands on those plans is a mystery though."

"She's not exactly to those plans though." Tendo piped up. "There are a few modifications to aspects such as her software and operating systems. I have already tried to access them but the are't compatible with the PPDC's universal software. Her port systems are also vastly different. Getting any data from her may be impossible if she has any level of encryption to her."

"Get back to it if you have noting else for me Mr. Choi." Stacker replied solemnly. "We need all the information we can get from her."

"But that's just it Sir, I do have more." Tendo continued. "I got in contact with the gate-keepers of Oblivion Bay. They haven't had any visitors besides us for years, but when they sent inspection teams out to check the other Jaegers at my request, they found that Lucky and Coyote weren't the only ones scavenged from. Romeo Blue is missing some of his drift tech and mother-boards, Tacit Ronin is missing some of his plating and cabling, Brawler Yukon is missing nuclear fuel cells, and the list goes on! there isn't a single Jaeger in Oblivion Bay that hasn't got something missing!"

"Are you seriously telling me Mr. Choi. that there could be more of these unknown Jaegers out there?" Pentecost asked, clearly astonished.

"More than that sir. The Mark VI plans were kept together with all the other plans. Whoever built this Jaeger could have built anything up to and including a Mark IX!"

"Start searching for anymore weak signals and get satellites and sonar to scan the oceans for anything that even slightly resembles a Jaeger. If these Jaegers are out there then I want them in our possession as soon as possible!" Stacker said to Tendo, who hurried back to his computer quick smart. "Meanwhile I need a drink. Shall we get back to the game?" He added and headed for the mess hall.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"It's my turn" Jin stated as they all sat down. "Never have I ever seen a Mark VI Jaeger or any plans for one before today."

Stacker, Mako, and Herc took shots.

"Never have I ever wanted to pilot Gipsy Danger" Cheung said.

Everyone took a shot except Cheung.

"I call liar" Hu and Jin said at the same time, pointing at Cheung. Cheung took his shot and three more.

"Just checking you're awake" Cheung said with a smile.

"OK, my turn" Raleigh stepped in before anymore remarks could be added. "Never have I ever.....had a one night stand."

Everyone except Raleigh and Mako drank. Chuck was not prepared to accept that.

"I call bullshit" he announced loudly, pointing directly at Raleigh.

"Agreed" said most of the others, nodding until Mako spoke up.

"He's telling the truth." 

The room fell silent.

"Really?" asks Herc, disbelief clear in his voice, Stacker mirroring his expression.

"Yeah. Though Yance had enough for the two of us..." Raleigh tapered off.

"My mistake then." Chuck mutters before downing three shots as a penalty. It was then Mako's turn.

"Never have I ever..." She begins, thinking a moment before adding "had a tattoo."

Everyone except Hermann drank.

Mako looks at Raleigh, clearly asking what and where. In response Raleigh takes off his shirt, and there under his right nipple, barely noticeable because it was so small, is a simple date tattooed in black ink.

"Knifehead" was all the explanation he needed to give.

Stacker looks at Mako, and she turns around, pulling her hair into a loose ponytail. On here neck there are the characters 鬼ババ. to anyone who doesn't read Japanese, she too has a one word explanation.

"Onibaba" she says quietly.

After that nobody dares to ask the others about their tattoos and the game continues.

Its Sasha's turn when Tendo hurries into the mess hall, looking like he's going to explode with the need to share information.

"You found another one, Mr Choi?" Stacker asks, worry clear in his voice.

"No sir" Tendo replies. 

The Marshall relaxes.

"I found another Three."

Herc nearly chokes on the vodka he was about to down.

 

It takes the Jumphawk, salvage and diving teams four hours to retrieve the first of the three newly discovered Jaegers. 

He drops down into the empty bay next to the Mark VI, a vision in a smokey grey paint job, the color reminding Raleigh of the cloudy Alaskan skies above the waters they found him in. He is bulkier than the Mark VI but not taller, with evidence of more shielding and less weaponry than her too. It is clear he was made to be more protective of his pilots than an offensive weapon. His plating is thicker and more centered around the chest and his con-pod sits lower than most.

Stacker takes one mere glance at him, recognizing him instantly.

"Its a Mark VIII." He looks at Herc. "What's to bet one of the other two is a Mark VII?"

"Almost certain" Herc replies gruffly.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

He has to admit, He is impressed by the effort Pentecost is going to in order to find the remaining Jaegers, and even more impressed at the speed at which he succeeded, given the size of the worlds oceans in comparison to the size of a single Jaeger. He gets up from his chair at the surveillance desk and goes to find Amirina.

He ends up in the break room, sitting down opposite her with a fresh mug of coffee in his hands when he tells her.

"They've salvaged Shield and are in the process of picking up Olympus and Dhampir." He tells her. 

"How'd they find them?" Amirina asks, looking kind of shocked that they had managed to in the first place, never mind so quickly.

"Same way you found me." Yancy replied. "Sonar."

"But you said none of their Jaegers are functional currently. Gipsy and Striker went down closing the breach, Crimson is having issues with the third arm, Cherno has a minor radiation leak, and Lucky and Coyote have only just begun being restored." She replies.

"You do know most ships are equipped with sonar in this day and age, right? Tendo also used satellite imagery and created a program to compare the depths of the ocean over time based on the color of the surface." Yance paused before adding "He's quite chuffed with himself over it."

Amirina sighs and finishes off her hot chocolate in one. 

"We better get a move on with packing then. Don't want anyone in their J tech teams getting hurt trying to disarm Dhampir."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Raleigh and the others watched quietly as the remaining two Jaegers were lowered into their new housing. The third of the four newly discovered wrecks had turned out to be a Mark VII. 

He was a lovely white color, with a build similar to the Mark VIII, but his shielding was less prominent. He was clearly built for very flexible and gymnastics orientated pilots. The joints on him were more exposed, probably for increased maneuverability, but this was a clear weak point. The Jaeger's arms had been brought in separately, having been at some point ripped from the body entirely. The Con-Pod was also in dire need of attention, the crushing force leaving a clear footprint the shape of a three toed-foot. Either there was yet another Jaeger out therewith a three toed arrangement to it's feet or this Jaeger had seen battle with a Kaiju. Stacker didn't know what concept was scarier.

The fourth and final Jaeger was an unexpected surprise though. One look at her sleek exterior had both Stacker and Herc gaping like little kids getting a first glimpse of a mountain of presents under a Christmas tree. Herc was the first to recover.

"Bloody 'ell, that's a Mark IX Stacks!" He practically roared, near to jumping up and down in excitement.

And what a beauty of a Mark IX she was! Beautifully bedecked in gunmetal grey with red accents, and what appeared to be two piston-driven red-tipped silver colored stakes, she towered above all of the other Jaegers, including Cherno. Her plating was cutting edge and her form built to withstand even the strongest of downward forces. From where they were standing, it looked like her Con was able to retract into the chest of the Jaeger to protect her pilots. She was clearly built with pilots that possessed sheer amounts of brute strength in mind. She could have been unstoppable with the right pilots, but again there was clear fatal damage to her chest, a massive hole almost equal in size to Cherno's head. 

Chuck openly gaped at her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"Hey Dad, why do you suppose someone abandoned a Mark IX instead of fixing her up and running her again?" He asked. "I mean, clearly they have resources if they were able to build her in the first place, so why just throw her away?"

Max barked in apparent protest too.

"I have no idea son." Herc replied, smiling fondly not at the Jaeger but at the fact that Chuck had unwittingly called him Dad for the first time in a long time instead of 'Old Man'. 

Their moment of brief family harmony vanished quickly when the Kaiju alarm started to blare throughout the 'Dome.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Yancy came flying round the corner of the hallway and into mess hall so fast that he nearly had his feet skid out from underneath him. One look at his panicked face immediately sparked concern in Amirina.

"Breach. Kaiju. Hong Kong" was all Yance managed to get out before she had grabbed his hand, running in perfect sync to get into their suits and into their Jaeger as quickly as possible.

~Just hang in there Raleigh, I'm coming~ he thinks.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"What do you mean we don't have any deployable Jaegers?" Stacker asks, panic clear in his tone of voice.

"Crimson is having issues with the third arm, Cherno has a minor radiation leak, and Lucky and Coyote have only just begun being restored." the very intimidated and harried tech replies. "We have no Jaegers and a category five Kaiju on the way."

"Time to go find the flare guns then" Herc mutters to Chuck under his breath.

"What about the Mark VI? she was still sending out signals when she was on the bottom of the ocean, maybe we can run her?" Chuck points out.

"Definite no on that score sorry Ranger Hansen. She runs on an entirely different system, we cant even gain access to the Con, let alone hook a pilot up to her." Tendo replies.

"The what are we going to do? We can't just sit here and let that monstrosity pillage and destroy until there is nothing left, Jaegers or no Jaegers." Raleigh points out.

"Raleigh is right, but maybe we don't need to kill it. Maybe we just need to keep it distracted." Mako suggested. when she got nothing but silence in return she continued. "Remember Chuck asked Herc earlier why whoever built these Jaegers abandoned them? I've been thinking about it. They wouldn't...."

".....Unless they built something better" Hermann finished for her.

"Precisely. There is no indication on any of the new Jaegers that the pilots died when they went down. For all we know they are still out there. And if they are still out there and they have a Jaeger, there is no way in hell that they will let innocent people die by doing nothing, otherwise what was the point of building a Jaeger? If they were out to cause destruction they would have already." She pointed out.

Stacker looks towards Herc.

"Still remember how to fly a chopper?" he asks.

"Of course" Herc replies, puzzled.

"Right, good" Stacker continues "then here's the plan..."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

For Yancy, every one of Archangel's long strides, every breath he takes, and every second of their hurried journey to Hong Kong is agony. 

Raleigh is defenseless, not a single Jaeger capable of fighting in the entire Hong Kong 'Dome, and he's half a world away. He is completely unable to help him. Again.

With that thought his vision flickers as memories are brought up out of the dark place that is the hole in his soul. He nearly falls into a R.A.B.I.T. before he remembers he's in the middle of piloting. He glances to his right, hoping desperately that Amirina is unharmed by his lapse in concentration to see she is just fine, instantly remembering that she always will be. She solo drifted with her Jaeger for years before she saved him. Before she became his angel. 

Five miles out from Hong Kong they switch to underwater transport mode, the jets in archangel's wide set feet powering them through the water unseen for a stealthy approach. About a minute later they are on scene.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Hercules Hansen always knew Stacker Pentecost, his long time boss and current lover, had a death wish. 

So all in all he really wasn't that surprised when Stacker's big plan turned out to be using the Jumphawks and a hastily constructed cannon to fire a handful AKM's left over from Striker at the now very angry category five Kaiju on their doorstep. 

Not that it is really helping. The cannon itself did not have the power to launch the AKM's a sufficient speed to do much harm to the heavily armored beast from hell.

Coming to think of it, flare guns would have done the same job for a much smaller cost, but oh well.

Herc was currently too busy trying to keep the helicopter he now piloted out of reach of the Kaiju that sort of looked like a Koala that had been involved in a run in with a pool of nuclear waste. The thing was huge, with long fangs filling it's mouth and wickedly sharp curved claws at the ends of all of its six appendages. 

Chuck, Raleigh, Mako, Sasha and Aleksis are firing everything they can at it from the back of the chopper, doors wide open to fit any kind of weapon they could fire in the chopper out and give room for aiming.

Herc hears Chuck swear when his machine gun, ineffective against the beast anyway, jams for the last time. Rummaging in the back of the chopper, all Chuck is able to find is a solitary flare gun. Not complaining, he simply points it in the right direction and shoots it too.

Too late Herc realizes that all eight of the ugly beasty's eyes are now focused on his one chopper He doesn't manage to avoid the next, very targeted, swing of its clawed fore-paw.

He manages to lock eyes with his son one last time before the chopper plummets into the freezing waters.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The Kaiju has just knocked a Jumphawk out of the sky, sending it crashing into the Kaiju Blue tainted waters below when Archangel rose majestically out of those same waters in front of it, quickly uppercutting it in the jaw and sending it flying. 

Determined than no further lives should be lost, Amirina and Yancy keep the Kaiju at bay while the remaining PPDC members launch an inflatable raft to pluck the crew out of the water, careful not to cause waves large enough to upend the small rescue boat.

Only once the Inflatable has safely delivered the Jumphawk's crew to land did they set lose Archangel's two greatest weapons.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Herc Hansen stands by his son's side and watches on as the huge black blue and silver Jaeger reaches behind itself with both arms and draws two massive swords from their scabbards, before taking up a stance that he has only ever seen once before, in a movie a long time ago. His eyes widen as white and blue hot plasma shoots out of the back of the Jaeger, not unlike the wings of an angel, so bright that it is nearly blinding. He watches in awe as the Jaeger moves deftly to parry any blows and dodge any attempts at attacks made by the Kaiju (now code-named Australivore) and twirls to lash the beast with it's plasma wings.

"Whoa, now that is one wicked weapon!" Chuck exclaims loudly. All Herc can do is nod in response and try to keep his jaw from hitting the ground. 

"Wonder how it works" Mako adds from Chuck's other side.

The Jaeger seems to toy with Australivore before plunging both of its swords into the creature, one straight through the chest and the other down through the back of the neck, severing the spinal cord. With that Australivore crumples into the waters of the harbor, as dead as a dodo.

It is only then that Herc realizes they have no clue who the pilots are.

He watches anxiously along with the rest of the PPDC, waiting to learn what the next move would be from the colossal angelic swordswoman. He doesn't know if he is relieved or even more anxious when it moves to enter the shatterdome, but he follows it through the hanger doors anyway, along with everyone else.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CS23~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

As Amirina and Yancy entered the hanger they were greeted with the sight of Calypso, Shield, Olympus, and Dhampir standing side by side in their bays. It felt to the both of them like the perfect homecoming.

Amirina was the first to leave the relative safety of Archangel's Con-Pod. She jumped from the door of her precious Mark X onto the nearest platform and climbed down the many steps to greet Marshall Stacker Pentecost for the first time. After pleasantries are exchanged she looks over to Raleigh.

"Please don't judge my co-pilot too harshly" she asks nicely. "He did what he had to in order to keep you and the rest of the world safe."

She knows Yancy is half way down the stairs when she hears the gasp of the first person who recognizes him. That the person happens to be Raleigh doesn't surprise her. 

"Yancy" Raleigh says the name as quietly as he dares as if what he is seeing could just disappear. When he realizes he is not seeing things, he gets a bit more vocal.

"YANCY! YOU'RE ALIVE!" he yells, joy evident in his voice.

Amirina turns her head just in time to see him run to Yancy, throwing himself into a hug and crying tears of joy.

It was then that the wave of her drift partner's feelings hit her. Exhausted from the run to Hong Kong and the fight that followed, she slumps to the ground much to the alarm of the PPDC staff that surround her. Yancy is instantly by her side. 

"Are you OK?" he asks while checking her over for injuries.

"Just tired" she smiles back at him with her reply

He sits down next to her, propping her head in his lap, and continuing to talk to Raleigh and the other pilots.

For now, Raleigh did not seem to need any explanation as to why Yancy hadn't let him know he was alive, not that Stacker was going to let him stay up and talk that much when it became apparent that he and Amirina had run all of the way from New Zealand, of all places. It appeared Raleigh was just glad to have his brother back. Both he and Amirina were happy and healthy, and for Yancy that was all that mattered for now.

"I hope you are going to explain everything that's been going on the last few years" Stacker said, looking down at Yancy and Amirina. "I don't take to well to people borrowing pieces of my Coyote Tango" he added with a smile.

"Don't worry, you'll get your explanation. If not now, then on one of the other days of the rest of our lives. We don't plan to be going back to New Zealand anytime soon other than to get the rest of our stuff" Yancy replied with a smile.

Amirina looked up at Stacker with her chocolate brown eyes.

"Marshall Pentecost, Yancy and I would like to apply to be Jaeger pilots in the PPDC. When are you re-opening the academy?" She quipped with a smile.

"Consider yourselves accepted, passed, and graduated with high distinction Miss D'Carlton." Stacker replied amicably. Now you two must be hungry. Lets go get some food." He added as he led the way to the mess hall.

Dinner was a blur of new faces and questions. Very few of which they were able to answer without too much of an explanation.

"Do the Jaegers have names?" Chuck asks, curious.

"Sure do." Yancy replies. "The Mark VI is called Calypso. She is specialized in aquatic attacks. She is specially designed to move better in water than the others. The Mark VII is called Shield, and has high maneuverability for fast moving Kaiju combat, but we need to work on his weak points a bit. Loose joints allow for more flexibility but don't really withstand Kaiju that well. The Mark VIII is called Olympus, and specializes in defense, not attack. He is best when on land as he can dig the retractable spikes on the soles of his feet into the ground or more stability. The Mark IX is called Dhampir. she is specially built for heavily armored Kaiju. Designed to work in a team though, only really meant to deal the killing blow" He rattles off.

"And your current Jaeger?" Chuck asks, most of the mess hall silently waiting for the answer as well.

"Archangel." Amirina replied with a smile. "Top of the line for every environment and designed and tailor-made by the two of us to suit Yance and I's fighting style. Streamline enough to easily commute through water. Flexible, but without weak points. Strong, but not too heavy to drive. Fast enough to catch most if not all Kaiju we have come across. Completely EMP resistant. Capable of working with no connection to a main base. And of course, completely and utterly lethal."

And with that they move onto the next question.

It isn't long after that Stacker takes them for a medical check and shows them to their new quarters for rest.

That night, for the first time in a long time when Yancy went to sleep, lulled by the soft rhythmic sound of Amirina's breathing, he knew he would not wake up screaming.

**Author's Note:**

> The promised sequel to Truths and Dares. Hope you guys enjoyed. Yet again I regret noting and constructive criticism is welcomed.
> 
> If anyone knows anyone or is themselves keen to do some art for the Jaegers to go in the story I would really be grateful. Just let me know.
> 
> Thanks for the Kudos!
> 
> ~~ChuckStruck23~~


End file.
